The Chinese used woodblock printing during the Tang Dynasty and later Bi Sheng invented movable type printing during the Song Dynasty. Among the earliest and most influential poetic anthologies was the Chuci made up of poems. These poems are more of romantic and lyrical in a different tradition aside the original Chinese literature.

Architecture

The Chinese architecture is almost as old as the Chinese civilization. Chinese architecture is very unique with a specific taste only found in Chinese residencies and Chinese inspired buildings.

Religion

The Chinese culture has very customary beliefs and traditions. Common religions practiced were Daoism and Confucianism. The culture was heavily influenced by Daoism. Physical offerings were a very common tradition in many households. These rituals were very popular and were practiced widely. There was a very heavy belief that the gods and spirits (shens) influenced family and the world around them. Shamanism was practiced in this culture, meaning the Chinese thought that there was a seperate world of gods, demons, and ancestral spirits. The law of Filial Piety said to love and respect one's parents and was a common theme in the religious practices of the Chinese.

Gender Roles

Huang - He was a patriarchal society. Men had a much more prominent role. The male's main responsibility was practicing household rituals. Meanwhile, the women were responsible for weaving, wine making, maintaining the household, and raising children. Only males could perform religious duties. Family was very valued in this civilization, and thus women were given respect. However, they were denied many rights.

Social Structure

The royal family and allied nobles were the ruling class. They lived lavishly and most land was owned by this class. Landless peasants made up the majority of the population. They were called the "mean" people and were looked down upon by the upper classes. The peasants provided the majority of the labor using bone and stone tools. They lived in houses below the ground to save fertile land for the upper class.

Geography

The Heung He River Valley Civilization is in Asia and it is often called 'The Cradle of Chinese Civilization" or "China's Sorrow". The sources of the river are the Gyaring Lake and Ngoring Lake and it's yellow water stretches from Mongolia to the Pacific Oceann. The civilization had very fertile land but only about ten percent of the land could be farmed on. This area had mountains and deserts that stand as geographical barriers that isolate China from the rest of the world. The Northern Fronteir of China became an area of conflict because of people fighting over the fertile lands.

Economy

China used natural water to water their plants until about the sixth century B.C. when irrigation was more popular. This helped to have cops grow better and their economy grew from that. China traded with other civilizations and got wealth from that.

Weapons, Tools, and Technology

The people of the Huang-He river valley were a very culturally, and technologically developed society. They had many advances like the invention of paper. They also created the water wheel, allowing them to grind the grain that they harvested at the grainery rather than manually.

Confucius

Confucius was a Chinese philosopher and educator, one of the most important individuals in Chinese history and one of the most influential figures the world.

He is the main character in the Huang- He civilization. His unique teaching approach drew from his vast wisdom and he is the founder of Confucianism

Yellow Emperor

The yellow Emperor is one of the three great Cultural Heros. These heros were a group of wise men, who taught the Chinese the art of civilization. The Yellow Emperor is credited for creating government and Taoist philosophy. However, many claim these men to be fictional.

This is the style that the chinese drew on the woodblocks, its traditional incorporated with their culture.

Wood racket support beams of Chinese architecture.

This is an example of how lavishly the upper class lived. This phot is of the Emperor Qin

The yin-yang sign is a common symbol of Taoism. It represents the opposites in life.

This is an example of the trade route in China. The Huang- He River Valley Civilization's main economic activity was trade.

This is the geography of the Huang-He River Valley Civilization. The river and the civlization are in northern china.

This is a battle axe used by the soldiers of the Shang Dynasty.

This is a bell used in the Shang Dynasty.

This is the great terra cotta army, they are an example of the sophistication of the people of the Huang-He civilization.